Car roof



Sept. 4, 1934. Cf D BONSALL 1,972,129

CAR ROOF Filed July 6, 1931 Patented Sept. 4, 1934 Unirse srA'r-Es CAR ROOF charles Davia Bonsall, Pittsburgh, Pa., assigner`V to P. H. Murphy Company, VNewV Kensington, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 6, 19371, Serial No. 548,954

13 Claims. (Cl. 10S-5.4)

This invention relates to metal car roofs -of the kind shown in my copending application YSerial No. 527,991, filed April 6, 1931, whereinthe roof sheets form a series of ribs alternating ,with channels and have their adjacent margins connected by upstanding seams that are -located within the channels, and the roof covering as a whole functions mechanically after the manner of a beam. The principal object of the present inventionis'to enable the roof ribs to cooperate efficiently with the roof seams in taking care of vertical load. Another object is to utilize the means by which the ribs Vare harnessed to the seams as ytie and strut members between the seams and as load-liftingbeams. Other objects are simplicity andV cheapness or" construction,v and compactness of design. The invention consists in the parts, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, lwhich forms part of this specificationl `and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, j

, Fig.,l is a plan View of a portion of a car roof embodying my invention, k

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through onehalf of the roof on the lineV 2-2'in Fig. l,"

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the roof at the ridge on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, my invention is shown in connection with a car roof comprising metal roof sheets 1 that extend from side plate 2 to side plate 2 of the car and are riveted or otherwise vrigidly securedv thereto.

`The roof sheets are adapted and arranged to form series of nat-topped ribs A alternating with flat-bottomed channels B, and are rigidly connected along their adjacent margins by upstanding seams C located within the channels. The ribs A and the channels B extend from side plate 2 to side plate 2, the ribs merging at or near the eaves ends of the roof sheets into the plane of the bottoms o the channels. The longitudinal middle portions of the roof sheets are oiset upwardly with respect to therside marginal portions thereof to form theribs A; and the side marginal portions of adjacent sheets form the bottoms of the channel B. The seams C, which function as outside carlines, areV formed byV upstanding flanges 3 along the adjacent side margins of the roof sheets and-by inverted U-shapedrcaps vrthat straddle. saidv flangesandA are rigidly secured thereto by rivets 5. The seam capsi arehprovided with outstanding base iianges 6 that rest Y on the bottomsvcf the channels B and are bent -down vat the eaves'and riveted to the side plate 2. 4 By this arrangement, the upstanding seams manner of a beam kextending between adjacent seams. As shown in thel drawing, each oi said beams comprises upper `andlower members or sectionsg'l and 8, respectively, that extend from seam topseam aboveY andbelow the roof sheets with their ends rigidly secured to thek opposing j `base anges 6 of theY seam caps 4 of' adjacent seamsA by meansof rivets 9. :the beam `preferably comprises a channel with Each section of outstanding flanges at the lower edges of its side walls, the upper section '7 being. oiset up-Y wardly, as at l0, intermediate its-ends so as to .straddle the roof rib A located therebelow, and

ofvthe beams'are connected byl means of strut members 11 located beneath the roof 4ribs adjacent to thesides thereof. Each of the strut memers l1 preferably comprises a' channel- 1 shaped member located between the top ofthe lower section 8 andtheunderside of the :roof rib. The channel-shaped strut 11 is disposed cross-wise of the beam sections with its Web riveted flatwisefto the top-oi the lower section and is provided withY outstanding iianges at the top of its sidel walls that are riveted to the underside of vthe roof rib by rivets 12 that-pass through the top wall of said rib and the base anges of said upper section.

By the arrangement described, adjacent roof seams are rigidlyconnected together by members that serve as ties and struts to prevent said seams romtilting or bowing. .These seam connecting members also serve as beams to distribute the vertical load applied thereto between adjacent seams; and they also serve to harness the rroof ribs to said` seamsthereby causing said ribs to l cooperate with said seams in supporting 'such load.V The strut.- members 11 that connect the lipperand lowersections '7 and 8 of the beam also serve to hold the top of the roof rib against the upwardly oiset portion l oi the upper section and thus resist the tendency for the rib' to buckle or pull away from said upper section. 5 The beams not only serve to stiffen and strengthen the roof; but they also serve as loadlifting beams toiwhich liftingy tackle or devices may be secured, such devices being adapted to be supported on the outstanding base flanges of the lower sections 8 of the beams.

What I claim is:

1. A single-course car roof comprisingroo sheets rigidly connected along their adj acent'margins by upstanding seams, andra beamfextending between adjacent seams and rigidly secured thereto, said beam comprising uppers/and lower sections and struts between the middle portions thereof, the ends of said sections being' secured together and to the roof sheets. v.

2; A single-course car roof comprising roof sheets having cooperating seam flanges along their adjacent margina'seam caps thatstraddle said seam flanges and are-rigidly secured thereto, and beams extending Vbetween4 adjacent seam capswith *their ends rigidly securedftheretd each of` said beams comprising upper and lower Asections that spanirom seamvcapto seam cap, and struts between the middle portions of said lsections.

3.-A single-course car roof comprising roof 'sheets having cooperating seam iianges along l`their-'adjacent margins, seamv caps thatstraddle said seam flanges and are rigidly secured thereto, and beams extending between adjacent seam caps Y`with their ends rigidly secured thereto, Ieach of said beams comprising upper-fand lower Vsections that span'fr'om seam cap to Vvseam cap above and -below the roof` respectively-and struts between the middle* portions-of said sections.

14.51A- car roof comprising roof sheets having upstanding #flanges along f'their adjacent `margins, seamv caps that straddle' said Aflanges and are rigidly secured theretogand beams extending between'adjacent seam 4capswith their ends rigidlyY securedfthereto, each ofsaid beams comjpri'sing upper and lower sections that span.' from seam capto seam cap, the upper sectionbeing Yoffset upwardly between vseams and V'strutsbeof-:the upper section. c

"5. A car roof comprising rooisheets'having -upstanding Vflanges along theiradjacent margins, seam caps that straddle said'anges and arerigidly securedthereto, and beams extend- 4ing/between adjacent seam caps with their ends rigid-ly secured thereto, eachK vof saidV beams'comprising upper and lowerA sections that span from seam cap to seam cap, the upper-section' being located above 'the roof sheets and thek lower section being located beneath y'said -roof sheets, the kupper section lbeing oiset yupwardly between seams, and struts betweenthe'lower section and the oiset portion of-'the upper section. c Y

6.A 4car roof comprising'roof sheetshaving upstanding flanges along their. adjacent marginaseam caps that straddle said flanges vand `are rigidly secured thereto, said roof sheets being `provided intermediate said seams with upstanding ribs, and beams extendingrbetween ad- 'jacent seam capsl with their endsrigidlysecured thereto, each of said beams comprising upper and lower sections thatv span from `seam cap to seam cap,I the upper section being located'above "the roof sheets and thelower vsection being'lotweenfthelower section and thefo'ivset'portionA cated beneath said roof sheets, said upper section being offset upwardly intermediate its ends conformably to said rib so as to straddle and reinforce the rib of the roof sheet located therebelow.

'7. A car roof comprising roof sheets having -upstanding flanges along their adjacent margins, seam caps that straddle said anges and-are rigidly secured thereto, and beams extending between adjacent seam caps with their ends rigidllyl. secured thereto, each of said beams comprisingupper and lower sections that span from seam cap to seam cap, the upper section being located above the roof sheets and the lower section being located :beneath said roof sheets, said '.,upper section beingofset upwardly intermediate ,its ends, and strut members interposed between Lthe 'lower' beam section and the upwardly offset portion` of the upper section.

8. A car roof comprising roof sheets having up- Standing` anges.: along their .side margins,y seam icaps straddling said angesand. rigidly .secured fthereto, said roof sheets being providedibetween seamk caps with iupstanding ribs, and, members locatedl above said sheets Aand extending from seam cap` to seam cap=and rigidly secured therevto to the tops of said ribs-and having upwardly offset portions fitting said ribszand straddlingand reinforcing'said upstanding ribs.

"A car roof comprising roof sheet-shaving'u upstanding 'iianges along theirsidemargins, seam vcapsstraddling saidilanges' and rigidly secured theretdsaid roof #sheets *being .provided between "seanrcaps with upstanding ribs,` :members located outside'theroof 'and extendingfrom seam cap toscani cap-and rigidly-secured thereto and hav- Aing upwardly offset portions straddlingsad roof 1ibs,arid' means! for securingsaidiroof .ribs to the upwardly offset- '.portions Vof; said members.

l0. A car roof having alternating nat-topped@u ribs andv fiat-bottomed channels formed therein Aextending cross-wisef'ofthefcar, said roof vcon- -sisting of la--plurality vf'roofV` 'sheetsithathave their adjacent margins connected byup'standing seams located within andY extending longitudinally .ofsaid channels, and beams extending vlon- `-`gitu'dinally -of thevrooffrom seam to seam,v said lbeams'being rigidly secured..attheirends to the seams and intermediate their ends to the sheets and being offset upwardly intermediate their endsVV to t said ribs and prevent spreading lthereof.`

`l1`. A' car roof having alternating flat-topped ribs and flat-,bottomed lehannels formed 'therel in `extending cross-wiseof the car, said roof consisting of a `plurality of l'roof sheets that havef their adjacent margins connectedr byv upstanding seams locatedfwithin andr extending longitudinallylof said channels, beams extending 'longitudinally of the car between seams with theirerids rigid- 'lyfsecured thereto, said beams comprising-.sections thatare locatedrabove' theA roof sheets and are offset upwardly conformablyto said ribs to straddleand reinforce said ribsfand-a lower sectionr located below the roof -sheets and extending straight'fromY seam tolseambut secured' to saidfm loo its

margins by upstanding seams, and a beam extending between adjacent searns and rigidly secured thereto, said beam comprising upper and lower sections located respectively above and below said roof sheets and means whereby said sections are rigidly secured together at their ends and middles, said means including rivets which extend through the roof sheets.

CHARLES DAVID BONSALL.

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